[Translation] Yume Yori, Kame. LONG INTERVIEW [part 1]
Yume Yori, Kame. LONG INTERVIEW 1986-2018 (pages 152-157)
[Translation by YooLeeAna]
(Both Japanese and English are not my native languages. I'm still learning, and I'm sorry in advance if there're any mistakes in the translation 人(_ _*) )
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The scenery seen by Kamehashi Kazuya who celebrated his 32nd birthday on February 23, 2018.
What are the dreams he's had in his life so far, and what are the scenery in his mind that he can't forget?
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(page 152)
Both his father and mother lived their lives with the concept of "for the sake of others".
He joined Johnny’s Jimusho in the first year of junior high school, and this year is the 20th year. The boy who grew up in the downtown area and dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player is now active not only as an idol, but also as an actor and tv host. Year after year, he carves out his own path and makes a living showing dreams to many people. What is the scenery he has seen along his path, and what is the dream he is looking at now?
- First of all, please tell us about the first mental image you remember from birth.
“I remember living with my family. We had 2 rooms, one 6 tatami mat and one 4 tatami mat room, and at night we were sleeping in the shape of a river*. When I looked up at the ceiling, there was a lot of laundry hanging out to dry, and we were always playing catch in the vacant lot behind the house. I really grew up in the Showa era, didn't I (laughs)?"
*Kawa 川 is the Japanese Kanji for a river flowing between two banks. When a child sleeps between his parents they provide the protective and comforting banks that keep the child safe. The child sleeps like a river.
- What is the most memorable thing about being with your family?
“There are many trivial memories, but the most vivid one is when I was in elementary school and my father took me alone to Tokyo Dome to watch a baseball game. We were on a crowded train on the way home, and we rode in the first car. My father asked me to stand by the window, and he put his hands on the window to wrap me up over my back. It was like he was protecting me from the people around me. At that time, I felt strongly that "this is my father". I was so happy because I had four siblings and I didn’t have exclusive rights to my parents.
When I think about the same memories of being strongly aware of my mother's presence, I go back to my junior high school days. When I was in junior high school, I got into a big fight with a classmate and was called to school with my mother. I had my own reasons for the fight. At that time, there were only a few students in my junior high school who came from the same elementary school as I did, so I was a complete stranger, and I always felt underestimated. I was treated like, "Which group is this guy going to be in?” So I called up the guy who was in charge and had a fight with him because I was treated like that constantly.”
- Did you always have a competitive streak?
“That's part of it, but I also felt that it was unreasonable to be treated badly because of the logic of numbers. And since we had a fair fight, one on one, I thought it was okay. As a result, my parents were called to the school and given a warning.
On the way home, I sat on the back seat of my mother's bike. Although my mother didn't scold me or say anything, her back was shaking. The moment I realized, "Ah, my mother is crying," I began to strongly regret, "What have I done?”
Up until then, I had been grateful to my mother for the great love she gave me every day, even if sometimes I felt neglected. But when I saw her trembling back, I realized that I shouldn't make her cry.
- Growing up with the love of parents and family is the foundation of "Kamenashi Kazuya", right?
“That's how I feel. My family is really a good old traditional Japanese family. My father is the absolute patriarch of the family, but he’s not overbearing. My mother is gentle but strong. What I still think is amazing, now that I'm an adult, is that they both lived their lives with the philosophy of "everything for the sake of the children". They chose to be patient with what they wanted and what they wanted to do as a matter of course. My father worked from morning to night for the family, and even though he had only one day off on Sunday, he played baseball with me and drove my brothers to karate practice. I was able to think from the bottom of my heart that I wanted to live for the sake of others more than myself because of the influence of my parents.”
(page 153)
- What about the four Kamenashi brothers?
“They're four guys. So although they are a bit rough, they got along very well. The eldest brother is the absolute strongest, and the second brother is the gentle peacemaker. My fourth brother is four years younger than me, so he was a special case. He was also physically weak, so he grew up in an environment where the whole family tried to take good care of him and raise him well.”
- What kind of child is the third son, Kazuya-kun?
“He was the errand boy for his brothers! He was also a child who always wanted to stand out in front of others, as his family used to say. But I think it's not so much about wanting to be noticed as it is about wanting being around people. I remember always thinking, "If I do this, everyone might be happy! ” And I always did it when I had the idea, and that hasn't changed since then.”
It is "Kazuya for rent" which is rented to the neighborhood.
A charming and service-minded boy, Kazuya was very popular in the neighborhood.
“It was my role to go grocery shopping for my mother, so I had a lot of opportunities to meet people in the neighborhood. I was a kid who knew the relationships of the people in the neighborhood, and was loved by everyone.
I used to go to that oba-chan’s shop every day. At that time, I wanted to get bigger for baseball, so I used to buy milk from that aunt’s store, but she would give me a discount without telling me. That's why the Kamenashi family still buys all their Christmas cakes from her store every year.
In my elementary school days, our neighbors used to take me out to play all over the place. They would say, "Kazuya, I'll borrow him”. There were many people who would pick me up at home, and took me to a variety of places.
- So U was rented out (laughs)
“Yes, there was no rental fee, but I was "rental Kazuya”. I was (laughs). For various purposes.
I was taken on a camping trip by my relative's sister and her husband, and I also went to take care of the next door's beautiful okasan’s baby.
One of my most memorable memories is of a single man named Kuma-san who worked at a factory. Whenever he went to buy coffee for himself, he would always ask me, "Kazuya, do you want something to drink?” He would often ask me out and buy me a drink. When I went back to my parents' house to film for a TV show, I ran into Kuma-san on the street. He was surprised but asked me, as always, "Can I get you something to drink?" He hasn't changed a bit (laughs).
It's like something out of a story, a place where righteousness and humanity take root. I think that place is still the same today. Of course, the buildings have changed, but the spirit of the people is the same.
I feel that I was raised by this place. The neighbors within a radius of a few dozen meters treated me like family. I received a lot of love, and I never knew to doubt the world at that time.”
Part 2